GUINEA
GUINEA – Mamady Doumbouya threatens to enforce anti-terrorism law
The junta in power in Guinea announced to requisition the army in the face of new opposition demonstrations scheduled for Wednesday, May 17 and Thursday, May 18, 2023 and threatened to enforce anti-terrorist laws providing up to life imprisonment against those responsible for a “crisis situation”.
The Minister of Territorial Administration, Mory Condé, said Tuesday, May 16 in a statement read on national television that the opposition demonstrations are the occasion of a “real urban guerrilla” where the demonstrators, “with unprecedented violence, reign terror” and attack the security forces with “lethal means”.
“We took legal responsibility by requisition (…) on 15 May 2023 to seek the assistance of the armed forces to support the police forces and the gendarmerie that were in trouble (to) maintain and restore public order,” the statement said.
Minister threatens to enforce anti-terrorism laws that provide for perpetual imprisonment against anyone who commits an act that endangers the lives or freedoms of others with intent “to intimidate, to provoke a situation of terror, to create a feeling of insecurity within the populations”, to exert pressure on the State or to create “a situation of crisis within the populations”, according to the articles of the penal code read on television.
The law applies to anyone who sponsors, finances or encourages such acts, the texts say.
Guinea is ruled by a junta that took power by force in September 2021 under the leadership of Colonel Mamady Doumbouya.
The military has consented under international pressure to make room for elected civilians by the end of 2024, the time for deep reforms, they say.
The junta has arrested a number of opposition leaders and launched legal proceedings against others. It has banned all demonstrations since 2022.
The opposition denounces the authoritarian and exclusive conduct of the so-called transition period, which is supposed to precede the return of civilians. Attempts at dialogue and the recent mediation of religious leaders have failed.
The opposition called for a demonstration on Wednesday and Thursday to call for an end to “fanciful” legal proceedings, the restoration of the right to protest and the opening of a real dialogue under the presidency of the Community of West African States.
Previous demonstrations have resulted in several civilian deaths. In a country customary to political violence and long ruled by autocratic regimes, security forces have long been accused by human rights defenders of excessive use of force and impunity.
The minister of the Administration of the territory blames the violence committed during the demonstrations under the junta on “certain individuals from abroad (…) with the help of certain political actors”. He doesn’t say what he means.
Former president Alpha Condé, who was ousted in 2021, or opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, among others, have been abroad for several months.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Morissanda Kouyaté, received this Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Conakry a delegation from the African Union, on an official visit to Guinea. On this occasion, he reaffirmed the commitment of the transitional authorities to respect the deadlines set for the return to constitutional order, while stressing the historical and central role of Guinea in the construction of the Pan-African project.
« I am very happy. The African Union is at Guinea’s side to accompany and support the vision of the head of state, President Mamadi Doumbouya, in favor of Guinea and Africa, in the political, diplomatic, economic, and cultural fields, declared the head of Guinean diplomacy.
This meeting takes place in a context marked by the preparations for the constitutional referendum scheduled for next September 21.
Morissanda Kouyaté also recalled the founding involvement of Guinea in the creation of the Organization of African Unity, which became the African Union. “This visit materializes the commitment of the Peace and Security Council to accompany Guinea in a dynamic of ambitious political and diplomatic transformation,” he stressed.
The minister indicated that all actions related to the transition are currently funded by the national development budget, while calling for a broader mobilization of the international community. “We have requested a round table, called the Basketfront, to seek support to speed up the process. But this does not mean that we will give up,” he said, reiterating President Doumbouya’s willingness to scrupulously respect the scheduled deadlines.
He finally wanted to reassure on the efforts made to ensure an inclusive electoral process. “We are going through a difficult period, and that is why we want all Guineans to be registered in order to obtain a reliable electoral roll,” concluded Morissanda Kouyaté.
Source: guinee360 / Photo credit: Page Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guinea
A court in Conakry on appeal sentenced a Guinean opponent to two years in prison on Wednesday for “offense and defamation” against the junta leader, one of his lawyers told AFP.
Aliou Bah, president of the Liberal Democratic Movement (Model), has been in custody since December 2024. He was sentenced at first instance in January to the same two-year prison term for “offense and defamation” against General Mamadi Doumbouya.
The public prosecutor had requested a five-year sentence on appeal on 22 April 2025.
The Attorney General of the Court of Appeal, Fallou Doumbouya, had considered that the sentence handed down at first instance was “excessively derisory”. At the opening of his appeal trial in late March, Mr. Bah had pleaded not guilty: “I do not acknowledge the facts that are reproached to me,” he said before the court.
According to his defence, Mr. Bah is accused of having, during meetings, “called the religious leaders (Guineans) out of their silence” on the situation in Guinea, and described as “incompetent” the CNRD, the governing body of the junta.
“The trial judgement was confirmed” on Wednesday by the Court of Appeal, which handed down a two-year final sentence against the opponent, Hady Galissa told AFP.
He specified that a consultation of the defence lawyers would decide whether or not to appeal in cassation before the Supreme Court. AFP journalists were prevented from entering the courtroom by the gendarmes.
This conviction of Aliou Bah takes place in a tense climate, marked by the disappearance of several opponents to the military regime and a severe restriction of freedoms in this West African country.
Demonstrations demanding the departure of the military are regularly banned and several media have been closed in the country.
General Doumbouya took power by force in September 2021 after ousting the civilian president, Alpha Condé, who had been in power for more than ten years.
Sources: seneweb
On Saturday, 10 September 2023, the Nigerian junta accused France of planning an aggression, explaining that Paris «continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS countries». «We do not recognize any legitimacy to the statements of the putschists», replied Emmanuel Macron since the G20 summit in India. Within ECOWAS, the possible military intervention against the perpetrators of the coup d’état at the end of July in Niamey remains an eventuality, even if obviously, we do not hurry.
The boat that had to transport Senegalese troops and others to participate in a possible military intervention against the Nigerien junta should have docked a few days ago at the port of Cotonou. But that is not the case. An interlocutor in the Presidency of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) comments: “There are still adjustments to be made.”
In fact, according to our information, the Senegalese troops are ready, but are waiting for the decision of the politicians. Some wonder: has President Macky Sall changed his opinion on the issue?
Ghana has also agreed to provide troops. They are ready, even if observers wonder: this country facing enormous economic difficulties, does it really have the means to finance the departure of its soldiers to the front?
Nigeria remains. President Bola Tinubu, at first, was the most determined to restore constitutional order in Niger by force if necessary. Abuja is the locomotive of a possible military intervention. But for the past few weeks, Nigeria has taken a step forward and then a step back.
Recall that at the end of August, and for the first time since the beginning of the crisis in Niger, the President of Nigeria and current head of ECOWAS evoked the possibility of a transition «if the military power [in place in Niamey] is sincere». Remarks transcribed in a statement on 30 August by the Nigerian Presidency and denied by ECOWAS had to deny the idea of a «transition calendar»And this, while Nigeria is considered from the beginning as one of the engines of a potential military intervention in Niger.
